1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surgical instrument for harvesting articular cartilage from a body joint.
2. Prior Art
It is customary to harvest articular cartilage tissue for pathological analysis or cell reproduction. This involves harvesting cartilage tissue from a patient and processing the tissue in a laboratory to grow a culture. If the cultured cells are then implanted in the patient, two invasions of the patient's body have occurred, each requiring general anesthesia.
It has been recognized that cartilage is available from a synovial joint that is expendable, e.g., the proximal fibular tibial joint. Typically, when harvesting cartilage from this joint, the joint is sacrificed by being completely opened during the harvesting procedure.